Polio Outbreak in Northeast Syria Risks Spreading, WHO Says

The World Health Organization reports a polio outbreak among young children in northeast Syria. The disease “is endemic in just three countries – Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan – raising the possibility that foreign fighters have imported the virus into Syria, where Islamist militant groups are part of the splintered array battling Assad's forces,” reports Stephanie Nebehay for Reuters. The highly infectious viral disease is “transmitted through contaminated food and water,” reports WHO. Some infected people display no symptoms yet still can transmit the disease to others. Immunizations prevent the disease; most of the infected in Syria were under the age of two and had not received the required three doses. The UN Children’s Fund reports that 500,000 children in Syria have not been vaccinated against polio and other contagious diseases like measles. Plans for immunization for neighboring countries with Syrian refugees are underway; genetic testing may identify the source of the virus. Meanwhile, the United Nations and health care organizations have called for a ceasefire in Syria to allow immunizations. – YaleGlobal